Witnessed by: TCM · Western
Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa), of the Orobanchaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae) family. Low hairy perennial herb with a rosette of leaves and tubular reddish-violet flowers; native range: northern China; extensively cultivated in Henan, where it is counted among the 'four great Huai medicines' (huai di huang). Globally recognized as di huang (地黃); sheng di huang (生地黃, raw); shu di huang (熟地黃, cooked) in Chinese, and Chinese foxglove in English. The part used is root tuber. Fleshy orange-brown tubers, raw (sheng di) heavy, moist and sweet with a bitter edge; steamed repeatedly with wine to make shu di huang, it turns glossy black, sticky and richly, cloyingly sweet.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
REHMANNIA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Rehmannia
- Scientific name
- Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC.
- Family
- Orobanchaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae)
Form
- Part used
- root tuber
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sheng di huang (raw): sweet · bitter · shu di huang (cooked): sweet
- Western
- sweet · bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- sheng di huang (raw): cold · shu di huang (cooked): warm (slightly)
- Western
- cool
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Heart · Liver · Kidney
- Western
- kidneys · adrenals · blood
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- sheng di huang (raw): clears heat, cools the blood, nourishes yin and generates fluids · shu di huang (cooked): tonifies the blood, enriches yin, and replenishes jing (essence) and marrow
- Western
- adrenal restorative, blood and yin tonic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulator; supports the depleted through convalescence
Cautions
Contraindications: its rich, cloying, moist nature burdens a weak digestion — avoid in Spleen deficiency with dampness, poor appetite, epigastric fullness, loose stools or copious phlegm
Toxicity: essentially non-toxic; excess or an unsuited constitution brings abdominal bloating, loose stool and impaired appetite from its heaviness
Interactions
- Western
- antidiabetic agents: the root is used for wasting-thirst and may lower blood glucose, additive with hypoglycaemic drugs
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